How Arizona's Coordinators Transformed Their Squads
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It has been clear that the No. 18 (AP Poll) Arizona Wildcats have become a team to be feared in the Big 12 and the FBS, as they finished their season with a 9-3 record and manhandled the ASU Sun Devils in a 23-7 win last Friday.
The win over their long-time rivals was the second consecutive time that the Wildcats had defeated the Sun Devils on their own home turf. Arizona won convincingly in 2023 by a score of 59-23 behind an offensive explosion that saw Noah Fifita throw for 527 yards and five touchdowns.
Arizona ended its season by winning its final five games, going undefeated in November. The Wildcats showed they could dominate in the second half, outscoring their opponents 91-23. In the final three games, the defense forced 10 turnovers, while the offense put those games out of reach, averaging 18.2 points per second half.
The success of those two phases could not have been achieved without the coaching efforts of offensive coordinator Seth Doege and defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales, both in their first year at the helm of those units. With the regular season now over, let's take a look at how they turned their respective squads around from those that finished among the bottom of the Big 12 last year.
How Doege turned the offense around
Before Doege took over as the offensive coordinator, the Arizona offense was a one-dimensional one that struggled ot get down the field, both through the air and on the ground. The passing attack under Dino Babers was the seventh best in the Big 12, while the rushing was one of the worst, ending as second-to-last.
Doege quickly flipped that around with his unique play-calling style, which features a balanced attack of running the ball and airing it out when the situation calls for it. When Kansas State attempted to shut down the passing game, Doege went to a rushing attack and gained 234 yards behind Ismail Mahdi's 189-yard performance,
Against Houston, Doege's play-calling relied on Fifita's arm to move the chains when running was ineffective. By the end of the game, Arizona gained 269 yards through the air on the junior quarterback's 24-for-26 day,
2025 #Big12FB All-Big 12 First Team Offense 🏈⭐️ pic.twitter.com/zB6cd67Ixd
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) December 4, 2025
Doege's work with Fifita also proved successful, as his touchdown-to-interception ratio greatly improved. Last season, Fifita threw 18 scores, but also had 12 interceptions. This year, Fifita threw for 26 touchdowns while only throwing for a career low five picks.
Doege's help with Fifita's decision-making was also evident as the season progressed. Fififta struggled to find open receivers other than Tetairoa McMillan. This year, Fifita didn't hesitate at all in dispersing the ball to his many new pass catchers.
Gonzales leading the defense
Perhaps the most improved part of the Wildcats is the defense, anchored by the unique and aggressive play calling of Gonzales, who was promoted from the linebackers coaching position this offseason.
As the coordinator of the defense, Gonzales's passion and style helped the defense skyrocket from No. 13 to No. 4 in the Big 12. Gonzales' swarming style of defense gave quarterbacks grief through the entire season, ending as the No. 1 passing defense and the leader in interceptions (13) in the conference.
Gonzales' confusing blitz packages and ball hawks in the secondary earned him the honor of being a semifinalist for the Broyles Award, which is given to the most outstanding defensive coordinator of the year. Two players were also recently featured on the Big 12's All-Defensive team.
2025 #Big12FB All-Big 12 First Team Defense 🏈⭐️ pic.twitter.com/JoESK48XNd
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) December 4, 2025
Dalton Johnson and Treydan Stukes were put on the first team after a season in which they dominated the second and third levels while also combining for nine turn overs and 149 tackles.
What did you think of Doege and Gonzales' first seasons as the coordinators? Tell us your thoughts by commenting on our Facebook page and be sure to follow @NateMartTSports on X for updates on all things Arizona Wildcats.
Nathaniel Martinez and a set of shoulder pads at 7 years old. He later graduated from Pima Community College in 2023, where he began writing for the Pima Post. He is working to achieve a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and Media Studies.